Process of enriching gas.



No. 669,650. Patented Mar. I2, I9Ql. B. L. MIDDLETON.

PROCESS OF ENBICHING GAS. (Application filed Dec. 14, .1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets$haet l.

762926 J66? zawzztor loZerilJIz'aQZlefbm ROBERT LEVI MIDDLETOTT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA,

ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHN R. MCLEAN, OF CIN- GINNATI, orno.

PROCESS OF ENRICHING GAS.

"SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,650, dated March 12, 1901.

Application filed December 14, 1900. Serial No. 39,856. (No specimens.)

.To on whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT LEVI MIDDLE- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of Enriching Goal-Gas with Oil, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention'relates to a novel process of enriching coal-gas with oil, and has for its object to insure a thorough and complete vaporization of oil and its transformation into a fixed gas within a retort, so that it may combine with the gas therein and enrich the same. This object I accomplish by causing a circuitous or back-and-forth circulation of the oil within the heated retort in which the coalgas is distilled, while at the same time providing for a series of expansions of the oil into successively-increasing areas and then discharging the vaporized oil into the retort in the presence of the coal-gas therein.

The apparatus for carrying out the process herein set forth forms the subject-matter of a separate application for patent, Serial No. 39,857, filed December 14, 1900. In order that this invention may be more readily understood, however, I have illustrated the apparatus for carrying out the process in the accompanying drawings and will describe the same in the specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in elevation showing my invention applied to One of a series of retorts constituting a bench. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through a retort and a portion of my apparatus. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the retort; and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of my improvement, the inner pipe being shown 'in dotted lines.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a bench consisting of six retorts supported above a furnace 7, each of which retorts communicates with a hydraulic main S-by means of a stand-pipe 9.

The numeral indicates an exhauster for drawing the gas from the hydraulic main 8 through a pipe 11 and forcing it through a pipe 12, leading to the purifying apparatus. (Not shown.)

The above is a brief description of sufficient of an ordinary gas-making apparatus to illustrate the application of my invention and need not be described more in detail.

The numeral 13, Fig. 2, indicates a wroughtiron casing or cylinder, closed at one end by means of a cap 14, screwed on such end. The cylinder 13 is supported within one of the retorts 6 by means of one or more pieces of firebrick 15, placed under the same or in any preferred manner, and with its closed end located toward the front of the retort, as shown. The cap 14 is centrally apertured, and extending through this aperture is a relatively small pipe 16, which extends into the cylinder 13 to near the rear or open end thereof and is then given a return-bend and its open end brought back to a point more or less removed from the cap 14. The end of pipe 16 projecting through the cap 14 is connected to a pipe 17, which leads through the head 18 of the retort. The pipe 17 in turn is connected to a pipe 19, which at its outer end is provided with a gooseneck or seal 20 and a drip or funnel 21.

The numeral 22 indicates an oil-tank supported in an elevated position, preferably in a place removed from the bench 5 for purposes of safety. Leading from the tank 22 is a pipe 23, having a seal 24 and its outer end being located immediately above the funnel 21 and provided with a regulating-cock 25. The pipe 23 is also preferably provided with a second cock 26 for shutting off the supply of oil. The tank 22 will be filled with a hydrocarbon oil, preferably benzin.

The operation is as follows: The retorts 6, including the retort containing my improvement, being charged with coal, the cooks 25 and 26 are opened to permit the flow of oil from the tank 22, through pipe 23, into the funnel 21, whence it passes through the pipes 19 and 17 into the pipe 16 within the cylinder 13. Before it can pass from the pipe 16 the oil must first travel to near the rear of the cylinder 13 and thence back to near the front thereof. Escaping into the cylinder 13, near the front end thereof, it must again pass to the rear or open end of the cylinder, and passing into the retort 6, at the rear end thereof, the oil or vapor must travel again to the front of the retort before passing up the stand-pipe 9 to the hydraulic main 8. In other words, from the time the oil enters the pipe 16 it must traverse the greater portion of the length of the retort four times before it can pass therefrom. To merely insure a traverse of the oil back and forth in the retort, as described, and as might be done by providing a pipe 16 with two or more return-bends and dispensing with the cylinder 13 would not of itself induce that high degree of vaporization necessary to thoroughly carbonize the oil and change it into a fixed gas. I therefore insure such traverse of the oil through the retort under conditions favorable to its complete vaporization. It will be seen that by reason of the construction employed three separate expansions of the oil will occur, each one of which is greater than the preceding. Thus in its passage through the pipe 16 the oil will be partially vaporized and will slightly expand; but owing to the relatively small size of the pipe 16 it will be held in a more or less condensed state. On passing from the pipe 16 the partially-vaporized oil expands into the larger area of the cylinder 13, and here a partial separation will occur of the more completely vaporized oil from the heavy hydrocarbon vapors and liquid hydrocarbon, the former rising and the latter sinking, and thus the unvaporized oil can not only be more readily affected by the pervading heat of the retort, but by contact with the heated side of the cylinder it will be highly heated and vaporized, and finally from the cylinder 13 the now completely vaporized oil expands into the larger area of the retort 6, where it will combine with the gas therein and, as stated, must traverse the entire length of the retort before it can escape therefrom.

By providing for the expansion of the oil as vaporized and at the same time causing a back-and-forth circulation thereof through the retort it will be obvious that I utilize all conditions favorable to the transition of the oil from a liquid to a gaseous state, as the free expansion of the vaporized oil prevents any tendency to condensation and the circulation of the oil described under the influthe complete vaporization of the oil.

ence of the intense heat of the retort insures By combining the vaporized oil or oil-gas with the coal-gas in the retort under the influence of the great heat thereof I further insure the permanency of its quality as a fixed gas. Moreover, by causing the circuitous circulation and series of expansions of the oil within the retort before discharging the vaporized oil therein I thereby cause the oil-gas to be brought to the same high temperature as the coal-gas in the retort before it is admitted into the presence of the latter gas, and thereby greatly facilitate the combining of the two gases. This is due to the fact that the back-and-forth circulation will compel the vaporized oil to remain in the retort a sufficient length of time for this purpose, while by providing for the successive expansions of the oil-vapor the same will be rapidly changed into the gaseous state and be affected by the heat of the retort to the same extent as the coal-gas distilled therein. It will be understood, of course, that the oil-gas pro duced in the retort containing my improvement will be mixed not only with the coalgas in that retort, but also in the hydraulic main with the coal-gas produced in the other retorts of the bench. In practice I find that oil supplied by means of my improved device to one retort of a bench containing six retorts will be sufiicient to enrich the gas produced in all of the retorts. I also find that two gallons of oil, as a maximum amount, will be sufficient to enrich one thousand feet of gas. It will also be understood that the mixing of the oil-gas and coalgas will be continued throughout the various manipulations to which the gas is subjected before it is discharged into the holder as commercial gas.

In order to provide for cleaning out the pipe 16 from time to time, I connect to the pipe 17, above its point of connection with the pipe 1!), a steam-pipe 27, having a cook 28. By opening this cock steam may be forced through the pipe 16 to clear it of any obstructions.

In case of back-firing the seals 20 and 24 would operate as a barrier to prevent the passage of the flame to the tank 22.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new is- ,1. The process of enriching gas with oil, which consists in vaporizing the oil by causing a series of separate expansions thereof within, and while the same is subjected to the action of the heat of, a retort containing the gas-producing material, and then discharging the vaporized and gasified oil into said retort in the presence of the gas distilled therein.

2. The process of enriching gas with oil, which consists in vaporizing the oil by causing a circuitous circulation thereof within, and while the same is subjected to the action of the heat of, a retort containing the gasproducing material, and then discharging the vaporized and gasified oil into said retort in the presence of the gas distilled therein.

3. The process of enriching gas with oil, which consists in vaporizing the oil within a heated retort containing coal, by causing a series of expansions thereof into successivelyincreasing areas, and then discharging the vaporized and gasified oil into the retort in the presence of the body of coal-gas distilled therein.

4. The process of enriching gas with oil which consists in causing a circuitous circulation of the oil through a heated retort containing the gas-producing material, and as the oil is Vap0rized,' ea,using a series of expensions thereof into successively-increasing areas, and finally discharging the vaporized and gasified oil into said retort in the presence of the gas distilled therein.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT LEVI MIDDLETON.

Witnesses:

JAMES L. NORRIS, BRUCE S. ELLIOTT. 

